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The Tome of High Adventure Entry the First The story thus far: Part the first A nighttime orcish raid on the mid-sized city of Brindol brought the group together after their regular bar was set ablaze. After the raid is put down, the crew is summoned by to the dungeon to question a captured orc. They also meet with Bellasandra, the town priestess; Gidreau, the town mage; and Ragax, the captain of the guard. Questioning the prisoner leads to the name The Red Hand- one not heard for years. Rajax brings in Sgt. Grimthor, who was part of a blockade on the bridge when a band of wolf-riding orcs with a number of kidnapped children in tow burst through and rode off into the night. The ensemble vows to find the kids and bring them back. Deciding the standing stones are the likeliest place they were taken, the pack heads there. After a journey and a trip into the tunnels, some kids are found. Heading into the main room underground, they find the remaining kids tied to some of the standing stones. Also in the room are the orc known as The Red Hand, a priestess, some guards, and Gidreau - who disappears immediately. After the fight the posse finds a note implying that the dragon skeleton in the center of the room is a ward to keep shut a portal to the Shadowfell, and that Gidreau is more involved than first thought. Taking the kids back to Brindol, the group informs the priestess of Gidreau's actions. They then take the note they found and the symbol to Bolthemus, a wizard living on the outskirts of town. He informs them that the sign is of Degon, some ancient god long forgotten. Part the Second Later they meet with Bolgar, the dwarven ambassador to Brindol, who informs them of a jade chalice last seen in Talon Pass, which is on the way to the dwarven kingdom of Bharad Kazarak. They decide to venture to Talon Pass to find the Jade Chalice. In Talon Pass, they find a mess of kobolds and some orcs - both of whcih they make short work of. They also find and keep some drake eggs. Eventually, they find the lair of a great acid dragon. After a long battle the dragon is felled and the jade chalice recovered. The group drags the dragon corpse and the chalice to Bharad Kazarak, where they sell the corpse and present the chalice to King Magnai III of the dwarves. Part the Third Soon word of a break-in to the royal keep makes its way to the adventurers. One of the border gems was stolen. The border gems each have a partner gem in a border tower on the edge of the dwarven lands. The gems form a fence that alerts the kingdom of any being crossing the borer into (or out of) the realm. However, if the border gem and its pair are brought together, then they are disabled and a gap in the border is created. The ensemble is supplied with riding griffons and heads out to find the assassin that stole the gem. They find it in the wilds, and soon take him down and recover the gem. Taking his hand as a trophy, they then return it to the king, who tasks them with assassinating Gidreau. Part the Fourth Meanwhile, an army of orcs has amassed alongside the northern border, in close proximity to a tower containing the partner gem to the one stolen. The cadre maneuvers around to the back of the army and closes in on Gidreau's camp. There they are witness to an armored being riding a giant bat that lands in the camp and berates Gidreau for his failures to secure the gem. He mentions a high priestess and a council, and the possibility of "delvers" under the citadel. He says that the council is no longer willing to support Gidreau's actions if he keeps failing. The being, identified as the Harbinger, then leads the orc troops into battle. The gaggle proceeds to disembowel Gidreau, and soon he is no more. The squad takes the many possessions of Gidreau, including a list back to Bharad Kazarak and the head of Gidreau to the king. King Magnai commends them and then asks them to help a noble with orc problems in his family household. The noble, Bjorn, and his steward Fredgrim, journey with the pride to Bjorn's homestead, where they head in to liberate his family tower. After a short fight, the task is completed and they all head back to Bharad Kazarak. While in Bharad Kazarak, Hans visits his old dojo and sensei Master Stonerender, who teaches Hans a new daily called Soul Anchor. This requires preparing the target beforehand and will prevent all teleportation of said creature until the end of the encounter. The drake eggs hatch into Rage Drakes and are entrusted with a trainer. At level 5 they will be ready to be used as mounts. They need to be bested in a battle - brought to bloodied - and then they are tamed. Gidreau also had in his possession a note he received from the Harbinger. Part the Fifth Finally, the cavalcade decides to head back to Brindol with Bolgar the ambassador. On the way, Grimaldo noticed a meteor shower coming from the part of the sky where earlier they had seen a star vanish from view while on their way to the dwarven kingdom earlier. Upon consultation with Bolthemus and the dwarven royal astronomers, their best guess was that there is something a long way off blocking the star. Grimaldo felt the shower was notable enough to watch it again the second night. Then he saw a large green streak land off in the distance near Brindol. Upon return to Brindol, Bolthemus informs them that he feels the list's contents mean: *Lair of A ::Lair of Asfodel, a silver dragon and a very good creature. He guards the portal to the holy mountain. *City of Fireflies ::The home of the Black Queen. The city only exists at dusk in the woods, but always can be found in the feywild plane. The queen is said to be so named (and appropriately attired) because of her perpetual mourning for her murdered children. *Hall of Shadows ::2 possibilities: ::# An old castle to the north. ::# The Nightblade Guildhall in Rhye. *Book ::The Book of Counted Sins - Current location unknown. Part the Sixth Now in Brindol, the priestess Bellasandra informs the dudes that a meteor crashed into the mausoleum in town. The guards that went to explore did not return, and of the guards that went in after, only one survived. That guard was very scratched and bloodied and is now feverish in a hospital. Captain Rajax wants to burst in with crossbows a-blazing, but Bellasandra asks the guys to explore it first. Entry the Second :12/22/10: Fought through catacombs. Faced wights and cold zombies and reanimated guards. Found the water with the meteor missing, and bloody footprints through a large door. The door has the sigil of the regent to Brindol when it was a trading post. Lord Regent Reinheart Blacktree, first regent of Brindol under the empire of Rhye. Hans learned not to kick anything in a crypt. Finally killed a bone king and shot the meteor with radiant damage. The meteor is conical with runes and spirals about the tip. Eventually Bronlo shatters it, and we decide to drag the shards back up to the surface. When no one responds to animal messenger, we look out the door of the mausoleum and see some zombies milling about. Soon it dawns that the injured guard was patient zero for a zombie apocalypse. We make it across the courtyard into the church... IF INJURED: *Bloodied by zombie -> 50% chance of zombie infection. *Down to 0 hp + infected -> No death save. Rather, you become a zombie in 1d6 hrs. Entry the Third :1/5/11: Zombies in church. Bellasandra is holed up in the top floor. She's bloodied but not infected. After a night in the church and a light signal from the west, the team heads across the street via rooftop. Bronlo falls a lot. Eventually we make it to the blacksmith's shop, get down to street level, and go inside. Yeah! Entry the Fourth :1/11/11: Bringing the blacksmith family across the street, the father falls and we have to save his butt. This is the first of many ensuing street-level battles. Just before arriving at the barricade, the zombified Rajax makes an appearance. He is put down. Finally, we arrive at the barricade. It is an inn with the alleys and such walled off, and situated at the opposite end of a large, zombie-filled plaza. Entry the Fifth :9/11/11: Zombies burst through the wall to the courtyard, and need to be defeated. They are and everyone gets inside. There are six people holed up in the Inn: *Inkeep - A burly human fighter *Waitress 1 - A half-elf *Waitress 2 - A halfling with a bow and arrow *Merchant - An athletic human *Dowager - An elf wearing a thin layer of leather armor over butter-supple loins *Old Man - A wizard, think Blue from Old School The old man talks of the Black Queen, who lives across the bay to the east. Bronlo rocks at arm wrestling. Slammy Davis Jr., not so much. Bolthemus arrives at the inn later. He had already gotten one group across the river and returned to help. Deciding to pass through the sewers to get to the river, a horrid worm appears. The battle ensues... Entry the Sixth :9/18/11: Bolthemus kils the wurm... With 14 points of damage. Wow. ... Everyone gets out of the sewer and across the river to Bolthemus' tower. Bronlo gets a vellum scroll from Bellasandra to take to the Chapel of the Raven Queen in Rhye. Folks from the Inn head elsewhere, and we head to Bharad Kazarak to pick up our drakes and then on to Rhye. King Magnai III sends some wizards to Rhye for the council, with us as escorts, and some flame-throwing infantry to Brindol to help with the zombie hordes. Entry the Seventh :9/12/12: The group meets Ta'kal, a red-eyed robot friend of Shorty the Dwarf Wizard. Ta'kal has done past investigations into the cult of Degon. According to him: *He has already recovered one shard. *These are pieces of Degon falling to earth. *The estimated time of Degon's arrival is one year. *More showers are possible. *The shards are possibly the flotsam from some outer space battle. Some more snooping led to the following info as well: :1. Hall of Shadows ::This is the common name. It is also known as the Vampire Tower :2. There is a new cult in a town north of Rhye ::It is quite suspicious ::They worship the Radiant Morn god (unknown) Everyone heads to the river with the 3 wizards, their carriages, guards, etc. :Guards: 2 in total, one human, one dwarf :Wizards: L'oric, Febryll, and Belgarath. Eventually the group encounters the Bandit Queen Skarn, who is the protector of her town. She says some townfolk were taken by the "snake people", aka the Y'wan Ti. We decide to help. An entourage of snake folk with a female hostage is seen over a hill. Some head on, but most wait for us. We win. Entry the Eighth :9/26/12: They find the entrance to the snake city. 'Tain't pretty. Big fight inside -- we win! Find: *Magic Arm Vambraces *Necklace *Vials (4x) **3 antidotes **1 potion of resist (resist 5 poison until EoE) *Holy Symbol *750 gold + 250 gold in stuff Cleared the viper den... talking next time! Entry the Ninth :10/10/12: We found a mystery dwarf man who heals. Yay! An ambush at a campsite took longer to mop up than expected. Eventually we find the lair. Bronlo animal messengers the Bandit Queen Skarn the location and head back to town. Half price potions up to level 6. Woot! The Snake Symbol is also adorning various parts of the town. Febryll is spooked so everyone skedaddles. Asking Belgarath about the Hall of Shadows: Anon, paladins in a tower watching the road/pass. Orobious, the heir, went mad and cut communication. Possibly, he killed everyone else, or dealt with a demon, or was seduced. Now it's sketch and people avoid it. After a few days... Tremors! Slammy assplodes one mightily. Entry the Tenth :10/24/12: Slamster's ill this week. He caught the tremors. An axle is broken and quickly fixed. We encounter some travelers from Trilbek: *Four male humans: **Cuttle **Nod (holding a bow) **Horowitz **Shaun (a wizard) *Two male halflings: **Dreeb (a rogue) **Fuljen *One lady dwarf: **Greta Rockbottom (a warrior berserker) Hans tricks them for a spell, but is soon sold out by his compatriots. Nonetheless, they all make camp together. Greta escaped Brindol afore the zombies and is guarding caravans. It seems Trilbek is under new management. Trade is good but Greta is wary for some reason. The humans are from a nearby village. A meteor hit there as well, causing ghosts to roam and the river to run red. A quake cleared the water but stripped the hill of trees. Oooh, spooky. The halflings are merchants from Trilbek, which was also a halfling town and trade center. Trilbek has some new, interesting temples. Galmoran gets some "milk moustache". After a few days of travel, some hobgoblin totems are encountered. They are territory markers for Trilbek. After the empire of Rhye collapsed, Trilbek was under a council like Brendle. Presumably, it is now under hobgoblin rule. The Yellow Crescent Clan now runs the city, but most citizens are human or halfling. The guards are 90% hobgoblin. The town is orderly, but slightly cautious. Temple of the Radiant Morn - some new religion. Jeshua the Flap-Jacker of the temple promises pancakes in 2 days. A dockworker says some zombies washed up in Trilbek, but that was a while ago. An acolyte of the Raven Queen is concerned about the poor vanishing after visiting the Radiant Morn temple. Hammond is drunk and wanders towards the temple. There are poor folk kneeling and friendly folk greet her. She forces whiskey down one's throat (Jedediah). He then tosses the empty bottle and collapses. Hans rolls up and fails completely at hiding, then convinces one of the members, Sebastian, to take him inside using a cunning ruse. He claims the temple is exhibiting severe water damage and he (codename: "Rupert Merriweather V") and Hammond (codename: "Magnai III") need to go inside and inspect further. Hans, then Galmoran and Bronlo, head in. Jeshua follows after. Evander sneaks in last. Jeshua forgives all. Entry the Eleventh :11/7/12: Slammy assplodes the last otyugh in the room. They eat offal, like in the pit. The pancakes are good but there is no syrup! The smell from the next room promises butter and syrup, but is really filled with homeless dudes and priests. The homeless folk eat the pancakes. Then bugs appear to bite everyone and excite Slammy. A rune in this room depicts the sun devouring stuff. The homeless dudes get pancakes and the donation box on the condition that they punch all of the priests in the nuts on the way out. The next room has some evil horses. Galmoran finds some gloves of some sort. Entry the Twelfth :11/28/12: 'Tis a room of poo gas and butts. Millions of flies create a low drone. Baalzebul, their host, is known as: :"Lord of the Maladomini" :"One of the lords of the nine" :"Lord of lies and flies" :"The archduke of slugs" :(Maldomini is the seventh circle of hell) Jeshua was really an othuge. Now he's a smear and a puddle. *His necklace pendant contains a pulsing jewel, like a magic jawbreaker. *His robes are shiny and magicky also. *The reaver had a bag of holding. *The priest had a dreidel-esque dice of power. Hammond steps in the ring of power, activating the statue of Baalzebul. He loses his shit and the river begins to rise. Maggots appear from cracks and turn into flies and fill the air. The ring was prep for a ritual to wake said god. There was not enough poop to wake him, but it did start a flood. Hammond has now become: Hammond the Everflowing the living avatar of Baalzebul Everyone leaves to the main chamber, and then back to the city. A temple in town gets everyone cleaned up, for 200 gp. The priests ID the items from before: *Fey leaf vambraces ::Teleport to a flanking position (daily) *Bag of holding *Vagabond's Die ::1: Drunkards mug -> -2 attack for 1 turn ::2: Roll a d20 -> even is damage, odd is heal ::3: Knock prone ::4 or 5: +2d6 damage on the next hit ::6: 1d10 lightning damage to target and adjacent *Shroud of revival ::Place over dying to give +2 to death saving throw and resist 20 damage *Power jewel ::Regain one encounter of lvl 1 thru 3 (daily) *Collar of recovery ::+1 healing surge and +1 to NADs That night, Hammond dreams of Jeshua with immaculate hair, wearing a toga, and riding on a turd-spurting horse slug. Hammond wakes up in a puddle, a single tear in his eye. Jeshua forgave him. Entry the Thirteenth :12/19/12: Townfolk avoid the Violent Six, now cleaner but more troublesome. Items: *Hammond got the vambraces *Slammy got the power jewel *Hans got the bag of holding Mounts: *Evander got a ram named Reginald *Hammond got a buffalo named Shadowfags *Galmoran got a boar with a cart named Conrad the Pig what has Two Lazy Eyes and is a Boar Hobgoblins escort the group to the keep to meet Rallus the Prefect: "On behalf of the Yellow Crescent Clan, we thank you." He offers a payment for the delivery of some papers for 6000 gold. Half up front, and half upon completion of the job. The papers are to be delivered to the Ruling Council of Rhye. They are trying to resume diplomatic relations. He is most likely a necromancer. Early the next morning, we are escorted out of town. The 3 wizards say they'll catch the next ferry out and meet us at the Roaring Boar in Rhye. We see them off and then leave. A poem: Hobgoblins poo like you and me. But not Slammy. The banner of the Yellow Crescent Clan is black with two yellow crescents. It's a relatively new group, about as young as The Red Hand. That night, the heroes look skyward and see... ;HOLY BALLS. 2 MOONS! One is blue (Ardrea), and one is red (Frathas). Both are ladies, but the blue one is bigger. Evander notes a new star in the Dragon Constellation near the Dragon Star. It is slowly moving closer to the orb of Ardrea. At the border, Hans gets a daps from one of the hobgoblins. Jerry, I think. Black towers in the distance indicate Rhye. The banner of Rhye is a two-headed eagle with a red crimson tail on a field of white. Entry into Rhye requires registration. The town itself looks like Istanbul meets Cinque Terra meets Polignano a Mare. Notes in and on Rhye: *Everyone's mounts are boarded for the time being. *The Western Horn of Rhye is fancy. The Eastern Horn is dumpy. *A writ of passage is 50 sp each. Dayum. *Rhye is the city of blue lights. Gaslit streets at night thanks to the gas deposits under the city. *Vania is the waitress at the Roaring Boar. *The obstruction of the Dragon Star has moved closer, un-obscuring the star. Bad stuff. *Slammy's war drake is named Moons over my Slammy. *Bronlo's drake is named Richard Parker. *The Sovereign Host "The ally of the good gods. You know, the ones that don't kill kids or whatever." *Trilligos the Chancellor gives a receipt for retrieval of the documents. Tholemikus and Polion, two of the tower magi, invite us into their chambers. The floor of the tower is a map of the galaxy, ticking as it moves. The meeting room has a smaller map of the solar system. In 1 year, the head of Degon is predicted to hit Ardrea and cause considerable problems. There's like dudes totally living on Ardrea , so this is bad. The head is a statue or something. Bronlo inquires about the Raven Queen and Bolthemus replies: Beware the high places. Seek out the lowest graveyards, where the ravens gather. That night, the group is jumped, but not for long. 2 are kept for questioning. Entry the Fourteenth :1/2/13: The group splits into two and interrogates the bums what jumped them. Hammond, Evander, and Bronlo ask about his intentions, but the one thug can't speak or the brotherhood will know and he will be cursed. He admits to a contarct out fro teh group but won't say any more. Evander cuts off his hand but the thug doesn't speak. Then he dies, screaming, from the curse. Hans, Slammy, and Galmoran ask the other thug the same thing but don't get anywhere. Shadows appear on the rooftop, so Hans et al prepare for battle. Finally dead, the bodies are looted, quietly. The leader is not unlike Dennis. Treasure! *Boots of the Fencing Master *Dagger: Lvl 4 poison (+1) *Climbing Rope: Tie the rope to an arrow and shoot it at something, then shimmy up it like Spiderman. *Belt of Raging Endurance: +1 to Healing Surges. Resist 15 damage, then take 10 next round (Encounter) *Mundane, yet very cool, whip *Luckblade Katana: Reroll attack roll (Daily) *Skull mask: Enemies take -2 to saving throws vs. Fear. Gain resist 5 necrotic and +1 Intimidate. *1200 gp (200 gp each) The Brotherhood of the Spider's hand tattoos are trackers, leading the bad guys to us. We decide to take the one survivor to the wizard tower. Finding Bolthemus, he freezes the curse (most likely) and sends the group to a second inn in the Eastern Horn of Rhye. There are orphans aplenty, and Hammond can emphasize. The Black Kraken Inn is the destination. The note from Bolthemus has a second note at the bottom that reads: "Ask for Rhiannon" The barmaid, red-haired and battleship-chested, is she. The upper floor is then readied under Hammond's name. Ordo, the boy, is the bellhop. One room per. Hans makes up pseudonyms for all: :Hammond - Sebastian :Bronlo - Mordecai :Evander - Rigby :Galmoran - Benson :Slammy - Skips :Hans - Rupert Bolthemus arrives and gathers all. The Hall of Shadows is indeed the Nightblade Guildhall. This assassin's guild is hired by worshipers of the Sovereign Host and guards the entrance to the Shadowfell. The Brotherhood of the Spider has declared war upon the above guild and we are in the midst of it. Presumably the Degon cult has hired the Spider folk to bump off the Nightblades. Bolthemus suggests we ask the Raven Queen's temple for aid in finding the Nightblades. Entry the Fifteenth :1/9/13: Bolthemus introduces us to Kake, a wizard. Just then, Legionnaire Thann Getticus of the 119th legion post bursts in to ask of our well-being after the guild street fight. He asks some questions. The bartender of the Black Kraken Inn is named Sarge. Kake's dad, Kettlekorn, is the dean of a wizard's school. Kake and Hammond totally bond. The Brotherhood of the Spider works for the city council, the nobility, and the merchants. The Nightblade Guildhall is basically the opposite -- good guy assassins, as it were. Rhiannon writes the address for the Nightblade's guildhall and hands it to Bronlo. It is the same as the Raven Queen's dealy... After pancakes and rum, we head to the cemetery. It's big. There's a small chapel with a raven-shaped weather vane on top. Bronlo heads inside. The chapel is modest and cryptish. Father Mahuron greets him. The vellum scroll is sort of proof of Bronlo's legitimacy. Powerful demon princes in the underworld are allegedly trying to pull Degon to the world to use as their power source. Sort of like a league of evil. The end goal is to use magic chains to bind him and then leech away his essence. Asked about the Nightblades, the priest says he will send a representative by the Inn later. Hans can't find a gravestone with "O'Furygh" on it anywhere. Slammy can't find a nubile grieving widow. The urchin from before alerts the assassins and a fight ensues. Afterwards, a troop of guards arrive, looking for answers. They then arrest the group. Slammy hides his scalped faces in the fountain for later. Evander and Hans hide. The rest are escorted to legion post 67 and put in the pokey. They ask for Getticus. Evander was able to get a majority of the loot, but no coin. Specifically, *Belt of the Flanker's Bane: Slide a flanking foe making an attack against you as an interrupt (Encounter). *Quickling Boots: +2 Acrobatics/Athletics; +1 Speed and +2 AC vs Opportunity Attacks (Encounter) *Luckbender Gloves: Reroll melee weapon damage (Encounter) *Belt of Feral Might: Add STR mod to temp HP. *Breach Bracers: Give vulnerable 5 to next attack on a hit (Daily). Entry the Sixteenth :1/16/13: Hammond rips one, no, 17 farts. The Arbiter is on his way. Hans and Evander make their way to the guard station, telling some kids along the way to loot the corpses. The station is a small keep, with around 16 guards. Hans & Evander give the others the Horn of Summons and head to Post 119 to talk to Sgt. Getticus about the arrest and this Arbiter fellow. He agrees to help and heads back with them. Meanwhile, the Arbiter arrives. Eventually, Getticus gets everyone out and offers t come by later at the Inn. At the inn, Rhiannon hands the group a note reading: When the Bard plays "Rose of Ballyathon", tip 3 gold and a black square of cloth to signal the representative from the Nightblade Guildhall." Then Thann arrives. He is filled in on the relevant backstory (Dennis, etc.) Galmoran tips the bard appropriately, and he, Bronlo, and Kake sit with the Minstrel at a warded table. He is an assassin in the Nightblade Guildhall. The hall itself sits upon a portal to the Shadowfell plane. The guild's numbers are depleting. He advises ditching the hand of Dennis and going to question the other captive. The other guild is very powerful. He invites them to come and participate in the questioning ritual at midnight. Getticus is put on our room tab and everyone heads to the guildhouse. Inside, a chalk outline is the altar. The priest, some guy, the Minstrel, and a lady in black with a white porcelain mask, aka the Nightingale, are present. The ritual to remove the tattoo involves a hand in a bowl and a white marble turned black. He wakes up and soon breaks. The Spider Guild is made up of orphans and outcasts. After long years of mistreatment, they are turned to pickpocketing, etc. At 15, they make their first kill, get the tattoo, and join the guild. Nests, like sects, are numerous. Leaders meet at conclaves, above that is unknown. There are 21 people per nest. My nest has a front door in the street and a back door in the sewers. The name of the captive is Polion Father Mahuron takes the pearl to experiment. The next day, everyone heads down into the sewers with Ralph as their guide. Hammond entrusts Rhiannon with Ralph, then everyone heads back. After a long battle, the foes finally fall. Found: *4 potions - 2 healing, 2 antidote *3 magic daggers *1 bundle of arrows, containing 5 fire arrows *1800 gp made up of: :*3 silver brooches (500 gp per) :*1 agage (200 gp) :*1 fire opal (100 gp) Entry the Seventeenth :1/30/13: The second half of the sewer is booby-trapped with an Eye of Alarm at the base of the stairs and a closing cover above. Bronlo and Evander disable the eye. Hans finds a weapon cache containing the following: *1 magic short sword *2 magic daggers *1 Gloaming Shroud (+1 to stealth; Daily: dim light burst 10) -> Evander Unlocking and busting through, we surprise them, save for Bronlo and Galmoran. Hammy gets a face-full, then the battle begins. Suddenly, everyone in the fight gets theme songs! :Galmoran's theme: Bloodrocuted by Dethklok :Evander's theme: Rumbrave by Murder by Death :Hans' theme: Yakety Sax by Boots Randolph :Hammond's theme: This Devil's Workday by Modest Mouse :Bronlo's theme: A Silhouette of Doom by Ennio Morricone Everyone's down, or on fire, or some such, but eventually we win. The base is cleared out. It was an abandoned warehouse full of dusty boxes, a path to the front office, and not much more. On the newly dead fellas is: *600 gp *2 +1 magic short swords *1 Cask of Liquid Gold (refills self with ale continuously) -> Galmoran *1 Baldric of Dividing Ranks (+2 AC vs Opportunity Attacks; Daily: move through minions' spaces) *1 Endless Quiver (like the Cask of Liquid Gold, but with ammo) -> Evander A sweet vellum scrollette was also uncovered on one of their persons. It is in code. Entry the Eighteenth :2/13/13: The note is in code! GTQ FQOYHPQP TBYYBJ. GTQ QMSYQ'F QLQ FGEMUSTG MNBIQ, BA GTQ AUSTG BR GTQ NQAQPUOGUBA.NEUAS BAYL BAQ GB FGMAP SHMEP, GTUF ZQQGUAS JQ FTMYY NQ VBUAQP NL M OYUQAG. M = A Then there's a knock at the door. It's Ralph. Decoded, the note reads: THE SECLUDED HOLLOW. THE EAGLE'S EYE STRAIGHT ABOVE, ON THE NIGHT OF THE BENEDICTION. BRING ONLY ONE TO STAND GUARD, THIS MEETING WE SHALL BE JOINED BY A CLIENT. The Benediction is in 2 days. The Eagle's Eye is a common constellation. We tell Thann, who is impressed with our taking out of an entire cell. Everyone splits up and enjoys a rare day off in the city. Hammond and Evander go to the fights. Hans goes to check out the Faraldi Brothers Circus, a very familiar name. The circus is a far-flung deal, gypsy caravan, trade extravaganza, and news source. Orbo Faraldi is (was) the ex (read: dead) ringmaster. The current ringmaster is his brother, Timbo Faraldi, who was the animal trainer from when Hans was wee. Madame Merriwinkle, the tattooed lady, is the other one Hans knows from before. She cared for the orphans (including Hans). Galmoran Bel'alan goes to his temple for some guidance. Bronlo heads to the temple of the Raven Queen in the cemetary to spend time with Father Mahuron and to ask guidance on growing closer to the Raven Queen. He responds that Bronlo's gifts are a direct expression of her power already, but there may be other gods he is linked to as well. He recommends Bronlo meditate on whom he is linked to. Back to Hans: *The circus was closed for around 5 years after the riot, then the two (Timbo and Madame Merriwinkle) decided to re-open it. Also, they were the top intel gatherers and had close connections to spies, smugglers, and the like. *Hans asks about the Brotherhood of the Spider's benefactors. The clergy of Temple Mount and the City Council folk are suspicious. All of the clients are super wealthy merchants, warlords, nobles, priests, etc. *He asks about good folk on the council and is told of Councilman Tholemikus. Also, the High Priest of Pelor is harsh but fair and not corrupt. *On Hans' parents: Hans is the bastard son of councilman Vildras Kellidict, who was a nobleman and an outspoken critic of corruption. He lost his wife before he had any proper heirs. Thelusia, was a priest who worked with him, and they made a baby. Both were stabbed by other council members, but the Faraldi Bros. knew them and adopted Hans. *A monkey from the circus costs 1500 gp. Save your pennies, kids! That night, the Minstrel and the Nightingale appear at the inn. They are shown the code. They recommend spying on the meeting, not killing everyone in attendance. The Nightingale proposes she, Hans, and Evander follow the members afterwards. Sounds like a plan! Rhiannon thinks the hollow is on one of the islands -- an old trading house now in disuse. The hollow has one entrance, surrounded by buildings, and is abandoned. The buildings are 4 floors tall in most places. Overgrown with grass through cobblestones and chimney elms. The non-stealthy ones hang out at the Benediction and wait. One of them notices a portly dude heading towards the meeting. The three sneaky types eventually take out everyone on the rooftops and impersonate the slain guards. The meeting continues. Hans is lucky not to be found out. Yay Avandra! The Nightingale notes the fat man was wearing a medallion like an upside-down "Y" with a ruby in the middle. He produces a map and says: We have found the Hall of Shadows. My master will take some of you along with him. You have 3 nights to prepare. Choose your top 3 assassins, half of you here, and half of you here. Then we being our assault. Don't worry about those meddling kids, I'll sic the Arbiter on them. Soon you'll lead the Harbinger to his prize. Ta! One guy goes to a neighboring isle, then vanishes down a sewer grate. The others are too hard to tail. Hammond's orphan friends think the fat man is a regular at the temple district. Another poem: Man this penis, rad. -Evander Entry the Nineteenth :2/26/13: The Nightingale introduces... *Geos Cucullati, a half-elf sorcerer *Varroa Candiru, a tiefling rogue They are members/associates of the Nightblade Guildhall and are here to help. Huzzah! Rhiannon doesn't know Hans' real parents. Likely the house is now defunct. Hammond's house is Gauldiccus, under his father, Hadron the Collider. Plan time! *Get Getticus' help -- DONE *Scope out the assassin cell on the neighboring isle -- NO TIME *Set traps x10 -- DONE *Have the circus come to town -- DONE *Hold a marble tournament -- DONE *Talk to the council (Tholemicus) -- DONE Geos and Varroa go to Tholemicus and tell him what he needs to know. *The fat guy is Councilor Rauchen, the majority leader of the House. **Tholemicus dislikes Rauchen immensely. **Rauchen has a large estate on the western outskirts of town. **His grandfather stepped up as the Empire collapsed **He associates strongly with the church. *High Priest of Pelor **Opposed to corruption. Sometimes helps Tholemicus in his efforts. *Tholemicus' house is poor, but he is working to raise its status. *He knows, and trusts, Getticus *He promises to delay the Arbiter with red tape for a few days to give the group some breathing room. Hans and Hammond go to the circus to ask for help in creating a distraction - a parade with elephants and everything! Hammond gets the orphan kids to participate in a massive marbles tournament. Geos totally... convinces the orphan's guild-master to let the kids do it. (The tournament) Six traps in total are set: *Flame jets hidden by an obvious string trap *A caustic geyser *A series of spike tubes *A collapsing bridge *A puddle of burning adhesive *A font of madness gas Now we wait... Entry the Twentieth :3/6/13: Hans is down! ... Hans is dead! ... Killed by a warlock, who is himself taken out by Geos just as he was about to turn Hans into a corruption corpse. After the fight, Bronlo appears in a cloud of dust. So cool. Actually, not so good. The dust was the tunnel collapsing in a last-ditch effort to keep the Brotherhood of the Spider from breaching through the opposite tunnel. The Minstrel, the Nightingale, and Father Mahuron are gone. Us'n's are the last line of defense for the Shadowfell against the Spiders. In with Bronlo walks a sweet gnome named Pendleton Rime. He has a quick-moving arctic fox named Kinnikinnick. Round 2! Even more baddies appear. In the battle, Bill the Butcher lets loose that Evander was under his employ and was the one who murdered Hans' parents... Entry the Twenty-first :3/27/13: Wave 2 is down! 10k of gold thus far... woot! loot! Also! Mundane items amassed thus far: *A fine mandolin with a single sapphire inset (1000gp) *3 pearls (100 gp each) *6 accordions (Not sure what theAssassins were doing with these...) *1 charcoal drawing in a fancy frame *1 potion worth 250 gp *1 potion worth 50 gp *1 large clarinet with fine Eladrin carvings (500 gp) *1 mithral anklet with shards of a single agate (500 gp) *1 delicate gold bracelet possibly from the Shadowfell (250 gp) *2 poorly cut gems (50 gp each) *1 magic (+2) short sword *2 magic items (lvl 10) *1 magic item (lvl 11) *2 magic items (lvl 8): **1 Jet Pack (waist): Fly 2d10 up, then fall. Malfunction on a 1: take 2d10 damage and fly in a random direction, stopping if you hit something. **1 Wheelie Sled: Roll 1d20. On 2-20, move 10 squares, ignoring difficult terrain. Malfunction on a 1: move 5 squares at random, then fall prone off the sled. *2 magic items (lvl 9) *1 mage armor (+2 Daily: If hit, add +2 to the targeted defense) *1 robe of contingency (+2, Daily: If hit when bloodied, teleport 6 sq & spend a healing surge) Stanley, Horatio, and [[List of NPCs#Bill the Butcher|Bill are dead. Kevin too. Then... no! Not Xalmarth the Maleficent! Bronlo recognizes the one clad all in red as... The Harbinger!! He is hard to kill... to be continued...! Entry the Twenty-second :4/3/13: More of the Harbinger... He pulls out a runed dagger made of the same material as the meteor and stabs Galmoran square in the eye! He tries to open the gate to the Shadowfell using Galmoran's essence. But when slid across the room by Pendleton, the dagger and Galmoran's eye go with! Dang! Galmoran is feeling much less magicky. The Harbinger then eats the eyeball, momentarily exposing his skin of ebon and hair of ivory, together in perfect harmony. Geos thunderdomes Harby into the pit, killing him. At that, the giant hammer of Moradin appears above the pit and smashes Harby in to oblivion. It is finally over. Thann arrives just at the end, as usual. Good timing! Loot! :1 Lesser Ring of Feather Fall, going to Bronlo :1 Amulet of Physical Resolve, going to Hammond :1 Amulet of Life, going to Galmoran :1 Black Shroud Scimitar, going to Evander :1 Adamantine Great Sword, going to Galmoran :1 Stag Helm, going to Evander :1 Elven Chain Shirt, going to Geos :1 Maurader's Hide Armor, going to Hammond The meteor survived the hammer... Bolthemus will search out new consults as the Wizard's Tower is becoming less trustworthy. He feels the Lair of Asfodel is the next to fall, and that List of NPCs#Asfodel, a super good dragon, should be informed soon. His lair is located on one of the islands off the coast of Trilbek. Everyone decides to take Hans' body to the Faraldi Brothers Circus, per his will, and entrust the body and its future to Orbo Faraldi and Madame Merriwinkle. They are saddened to see their fallen friend and agree to handle arrangements for the resurrection, after a suitable circus funeral procession. Everyone wants to use Hans' death to assassinate Councilor Rauchen somehow... Category:Tales